Burning Brains: The Top Fifty Songs of 2024

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

My musical predilections were more informed by recent obsessions than by global events this year. I traced the footsteps of Mozart, flirted with Catholicism, read compulsively and watched the lines in my face deepen into chasms. Creeping maturity is evinced by several of the selections below. Yet my affinity for carefree fun clearly has yet to evaporate. As always, there’s no artist overlap on my songs and albums lists. A corresponding Spotify playlist is here.

1. Tierra Whack- “Burning Brains”

2. Charli XCX and Lorde- “Girl, so confusing”

3. Heems featuring Vijay Iyer and Sid Vashi- "Manto"

4. Meshell Ndgegeocello- "Travel"

5. Joel Ross- “bach (God the Father in Eternity)”

6. Tank and the Bangas featuring Samara Joy and Robert Glasper- "Remember"

7. Maxo Kream and Tyler, The Creator- "Cracc Era"

8. Sexyy Red- "Get It Sexyy"

9. Tinashe- "Nasty"

10. Joaquín Sabina- “Un última vals”

11. Mary J. Blige- “Here I Am”

12. A$AP Rocky featuring Jessica Pratt- “Highjack”

13. 070 Shake- “Winter Baby/New Jersey Blues”

14. Amyl and the Sniffers- “U Should Not Be Doing That”

15. Tyler, The Creator featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne- “Sticky”

16. Rosalía and Ralphie Choo- “Omega”

17. Horsegirl- “2468”

18. Ella Langley- “Hungover”

19. The Harlem Gospel Travelers- “Jesus Rhapsody, Pt. 1”

20. El Cousteau featuring Earl Sweatshirt- “Words2LiveBy”

21. GloRilla- “Yeah Glo!”

22. Hiatus Kaiyote- “Telescope”

23. Anna Butterss- “Shorn”

24. Marsha Ambrosius- "Wet"

25. Jeff Parker ETA IVtet- “Freakadelic”

26. Camila Cabello featuring Playboi Carti- “I LUV IT”

27. Michael Kiwanuka- “Lowdown (part 1)”

28. Scott H. Biram- “Inside a Bar”

29. Waxahatchee- “Burns Out at Midnight”

30. Ducks Ltd.- “On Our Way to the Rave”

31. Carly Pearce- “Fault Line”

32. La Luz- “Always in Love”

33. The Weeknd featuring Anitta- "São Paulo"

34. Staples Jr. Singers- “I’ve Got a Feeling”

35. Arooj Aftab- “Raat Ki Rani”

36. That Mexican OT featuring DaBaby- “Point Em Out”

37. Miranda Lambert- “Alimony”

38. Hinds- “En Forma”

39. DannyLux- “Maldito Alcohol”

40. JD McPherson- “Shining Like Gold”

41. Lainey Wilson- “Keep Up With Jones”

42. Nettspend- “Perc Soda”

43. Sprints- “Heavy”

44. Bonnie “Prince” Billy- “London May”

45. Yahritza Y Su Esencia featuring Michelle Maciel- “Nivel Dios”

46. Idles- “Gift Horse”

47. Madi Diaz- “God Person”

48. Dwight Yoakam and Post Malone- “I Don’t Know How to Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)”

49. Sierra Ferrell- “I Could Drive You Crazy”

50. Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew- “The Spark”

There Stands the Glass’ top albums and songs of 2023 are ranked here.

February 2024 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Lise Davidsen in the trailer for the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La forza del destino.”

The Top Ten Albums of February 

1. Heems- Lafandar
My review.

2. Lee “Scratch” Perry- King Perry
My review.

3. Hera Hyesang Park- Breathe
The soprano’s imaginative song cycle.

4. Kali Malone- All Life Long
A secular service.

5. Joel Ross- nublues
Blue notes.

6. James Brandon Lewis Quartet- Transfiguration
The saxophonist with Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones and Chad Taylor.

7. Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas and Ted Nash- Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols
My review.

8. Arcangelo- Handel: Theodora
A revelatory new recording of the 1750 oratorio.

9. Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey- Compassion
Piano trio nonpareil.

10. DJ Harrison- Shades of Yesterday
My review.

The Top Ten Songs of February 

1. Little Simz- “Mood Swings”
Schizophrenic.

2. GloRilla- “Yeah Glo!”
Glow-up.

3. Terrace Martin- “Kill Bill”
Smooth jazz revival.

4. Scott H. Biram- “Inside a Bar”
Set ‘em, Joe.

5. Sierra Ferrell- “I Could Drive You Crazy”
Insane earworm.

6. Ducks Ltd.- "On Our Way to the Rave"
Another jangle-pop miracle.

7. Thee Sinseers- “Hold On”
Little bit o’ soul.

8. Hatis Noit featuring Armand Hammer- "Jomon (Preservation Rework)"
Ancient to the future.

9. Gabito Ballesteros and Natanael Cano- "Proyecto X"
Trippy corrido tumbado.

10. Logan Richardson- “Black to the Point”
My album review.

The Top Ten Performances of February 

1. Militarie Gun, Pool Kids, Spiritual Cramp and Spacing at recordBar
My review.

2. Folk Alliance International Conference, Day One (Willi Carlisle, Justin Adams and Mauro Durante, Freedy Johnston)
My review.

3. Jeremy Denk at the Folly Theater
My review.

4. Folk Alliance International Conference, Day Three (Jolie Holland, Ensemble Sangineto, Mitsune)
My review.

5. Folk Alliance International Conference, Day Two (Trond Kallevåg, Louisa Stancioff, Humbird)
My review.

6. Jackie Myers, Rich Wheeler and Jeff Harshbarger at the Market at Meadowbrook
​​My Instagram snapshot.

7. Desmond Mason, Angela Ward, DeAndre Manning and Jaylen Ward at the Blue Room
My Instagram clip.

8. The Kansas City Wind Symphony at Village Presbyterian Church
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Pinnacle Winds at St. Peter & All Saints Episcopal Church
My Instagram clip.

10. Mire Pral at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Concert Review: Damien Sneed at the Folly Theater

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

Knowing they’d be amused by my response, two cousins asked me what I’d been listening to when we chatted during a family gathering on Sunday, November 20.  I told them that in addition to watching a new production of Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” (gorgeous!), I’d spent the first part of the day taking in new music by GloRilla (wild!) and Run the Jewels (vital!).

The cousins laughed at the idea of their graying relative enjoying hip-hop and opera on a frigid Sunday.  I don’t find it odd.  A concert presented by the Harriman-Jewell Series at the Folly Theater that evening displayed similar stylistic breadth.  An audience of about 200 heard a splendid mix of Black gospel, opera, European art songs and contemporary classical music.

A 78% discount on two seats in the third row convinced me to attend the recital billed as “Our Song, Our Story: The New Generation of Black Voices.”  What a bargain!  I’ll remember the concert overseen by Damien Sneed for years.  The perplexingly unpolished presentation belied the emotional impact of the staggering talent displayed by seven musicians. 

Rather than expounding on Raven McMillon’s heartrending treatment of “Balm in Gilead,” Sneed’s reading of Hale Smith’s startling “Evocation” or the Griot String Quartet’s interpretation of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s “Calvary” or assessing the success of the concert’s premise, I’ll simply note that sitting twenty feet from the category-defying Raehann Bryce-Davis was a privilege.